2010 World Cup Hosts beaten-World Cup Holders await confident Irish

Every match won under Giovanni Trappatoni has been by the odd goal and this match saw the veteran coach make 8 changes to the side which took all three points in Cyprus.
The 2010 World Cup hosts were a tidy side at Thomond Park as South Africa dominated the early stages against a shadow Irish side.

Bafana Bafana dominated possesion using a quick moving passing game to keep the home side on the back foot with St Ledger and McShane having to be alert to their slick passing. The Irish should have had a penalty after 14 minutes when the giant striker Caleb Folan was felled after a blatant professional foul by Gould who barged the Hull striker and cracked him with his elbow which required stitches and a lengthy abscence from the match. Folan needed four stitches and was gone for ten minutes. While Folan was being patched up the South Africans had their best opening as Steven Pienaar was fouled just outside the area by Blackburn’s Keith Andrews. The Everton dynamo took the free kick but it skewered just over the bar.
The Irish took the lead against the run of play with the stats showing the visitors having a 73 % share of posession.Caleb Folan was fouled and Liam Lawrence took the free kick, Pienaar encroached and got yellow carded and Lawrence hit the re take sweetly arching it into the top left hand corner as the keeper grasped a handful of fresh air as the ball rippled the back of the net. Lawrence had celebrated a first ever start on home soil in the green jersey in some style.
On the hour the Irish produced the best move of the match. A good series of passes saw Liam Lawrence slip a sliderule pass to Leon Best who had just replaced skipper Kevin Doyle, Best’s shot brought a good save from Fernandes and then the ball fell to Lawrence who’s shot was deflected wide. Best looked the livliest player on the park after his introduction for the last quarter hour.The Coventry star got stuck in and as the clock ticked down into the last five minutes he had one effort deflected and another just wide the shadow squad played well and it gave Trappatoni the opportunity to have a good look at his fringe players and he will have been satisfied with Best Folan and Lawrence particularly impressive. The World Cup hosts are vanquished- The World Cup holders await an Irish side relishing the challenge
“I am happy because I saw four or five good performances.” trappatoni singled out half a dozen players including the goalscorer Best Folan O’Dea Nolan and Gibson. Trappatoni said he hoped the the Italians would draw at the Stadi del Alpi in Turin against Bulgaria which would leave the door ajar for the italian to mastermind a surprise smash and grab to pinch top spot and leave the holders in the play offs.

Bob "The Voice" McKenzie Twitter: @BobTheVoice About: